Natural Souls have a storied past, and most anyone in Karteria will say that the Natural Souls are a symbol of promise. They're a response to a changing world... and at one time, they were the future of humanity.

According to all available reports, Natural Souls were conceived of about 25 years ago. They were successfully implanted in a group of Karterian citizens whose prognosis was otherwise poor. Infected terribly by arcane radiation, Natural Souls were a new lease on life—and indeed, all of these patients recovered once augmented with a second soul! It was a miracle. Not only that, but with the mass and strength afforded to them by having a second soul that of a beast, they were capable of doing what had become impossible: these Augmented people were capable of roaming the earth once more, venturing beyond the barrier of city limits.

But what is a Natural Soul? Derived from any manner of creature, Natural Souls are souls that have been captured, preserved, and imbued in another being. Their origins are often from animals, but may be sourced from natural phenomena, such as plants, minerals, or supernatural beings. (How do rocks have souls? Why, of course they do!) And their recipients?

At one time, valiant protectors of their city and adventurers of the rest of Orexis, the recipients were those average Karterian citizens. And they protected all of Orexis, headed by the woman known as Peacock, from Lupê's insidious influence. A group of Augmented Karterians, bolstered by their Natural Souls, versus the entirety of a military island... With strength like theirs, they couldn't be defeated. They utterly stomped Lupê flat. So it goes.

And it's now time to find a new recipient to carry that torch: you.

Patho-Gen will tell all new Augmented arrivals that their ability to fully transform should be available... now! Yes! Immediately, characters will find that once they tune into the Augmenter implanted in the most vital part of their body, they can tap into the neighboring soul that resides within their body. This is called Shifting. Shifting is exactly what Patho-Gen wants from Augmented characters, because it gives them those incredible powers!

Characters will have a fully bestial figure that they can Shift into at will. This form will be monstrous and exhibit the formidable nature of their soul type. For example, one who bears a Cephalopoda-type soul may have many tentacles, slick skin, suckers, an enlarged cranium, the whole kit and kaboodle. Likewise, a Glire-type soul will have their ears, strong legs, sturdy and sharp claws, long teeth, fur... This is where Augmented characters are the most monstrous they can look. These will be forms that are even more intense than their final, developed corruption (see more about that below), and will gradually drain the user's energy.

Shifting will be mildly uncomfortable for character to engage, and might take some practice at first. But it may feel comfortably intuitive for others who are capable of focusing inward. At first it may be easier to perform a "Half-Shift," where only some of the most monstrous features are engaged, such as a bulky limb with dangerous claws. Within two months, characters will be fully capable of harnessing their Shifting abilities. And sometimes, these forms might accidentally be Shifted into during intense emotional outbursts.

Shifted forms are where ALL of a character's most monstrous traits should be activated. They appear most fearsome when Shifted, and are strongest when they're Shifted too. And not only that, but their most primal, animal senses will be strongest—and most difficult to ignore. With practice, the Augmented will be capable of great things. Two souls are better than one, in this world. And who knows? This is only the beginning.

Patho-Gen will warn you about this, erm, unfortunate side-effect. With great power comes a small price... if becoming hairy, feathery, scaly, or undead is your idea of a 'small price.'

Over the span of FOUR to EIGHT months, all Augmented characters will find themselves gradually corrupted by the soul they've inherited. This is what happens when the Natural Soul influences its host, resulting in physical, mental, and behavioral changes that reflect that of the Natural Soul's. These will be permanent changes, separate from their ability to Shift into a monstrous form. A Carnivora-type soul will develop a prey drive, distorted dentition, and plenty of fur; a Terra-type will find that down to a cellular level, they've developed plant cells, and may have an instinct to do whatever it takes to survive.

Be warned: these will be some painful months. Bone, organs, musculature, and even vasculature may distort and twist; bodies will demand a lot of calories, diets may change, hair distribution and texture may change... Their bodies may require new or different resources to survive as they're corrupted by their brand new soul-buddy. How you choose to subject your character to this bodily distortion is up to you, and depending on how much they change, they will experience pain like they've never experienced before.

The nitty-gritty of these changes can be explored on each individual Natural Soul's page, listed above and below. Each soul type is influenced not only by its genus, family, or category, but also with some folklore inspiration. If Patho-Gen is asked why a person with an Aves-type soul can do things no mere bird could, such as commune with the dead or manipulate wind... who knows! Perhaps there's more to learn about these Natural Souls, eh?

To boil it down: a character's Corruption will be the form characters are in permanently after a number of months. It's a gradual process that takes time, and is painful, disturbing, and involuntary. While still plenty distorted and monstrous, this is a form that should still give the character some ability to navigate the setting—and while notably disfigured compared to the average human, still resembling themselves. This might be what a Birch-inspired Terra-type looks like.

Shifting is the most terrifying look! Characters can become quadrupedal; they can go full feral, their skeletons can immediately distort and their bodies can swell or shrink in size dramatically. This process is a bit uncomfortable, but not too painful compared to Corruption, and can be tapped into swiftly. Powers are most potent in this form, too! Going with Terra-type as an example again, wowza: a henbane flower might lend itself to this disturbing Shifted form. But it really depends, and you are free to toy with this look entirely.

The differences between the two should exist, but they can be as stark or as minimal as you prefer. Play with the differences to your liking.

One major point to stress: We want you to have fun and get creative with your character's transformations. If you select a Crested Rat as your inspiration for your Glire-type character, you can ABSOLUTELY give that character an immunity to most poisons, even though it's not listed as a trait on the page! We expect that you go beyond cat ears and a tail for your Carnivora, but you don't have to integrate every trait listed on each page. Nonetheless, please feel free to get in touch with the mods via PM if you ever have questions.

"So how do I pick a soul type?" To be brief, there is no rule or way. You can pick something that seems to work for your character, pick something that would challenge them, or pick anything at all. There are no rules regarding soul types and which are required. Follow your heart.

"Do I need to pick a specific animal to base the Natural Soul on?" No. You can try to remain as default as possible. For example, if you wish to make your character become a Spectral-type, you can go with vague ghost/undead creature and pick a great chunk of the traits listed on the Spectral page. Or, in the event of picking a Ruminantia-type, you can angle toward vague bovine-esque traits without selecting a specific one (i.e. water buffalo, gaur, domestic cow...). You can even pick multiple species from the same general umbrella! Your Ruminantia can be part-giraffe, part-antelope! Traits can manifest on characters even when the soul they were given wasn't that "specific animal;" after all, the soul is classified only by a broad category. Boy! Natural Souls are weird.

What is expected of the corruption process is discomfort, disfigurement, and disturb. The triple D... Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. This is a game featuring body & psychological horror elements, and part of the fun is to play out characters coping with the disturb of developing new and permanent features, being perceived by the world as monsters as well as saviors, and leaning on each other through the process. It is okay to pick and choose certain elements to corrupt your character with: if you do not like the thought of altering your character's eyes, you can ALWAYS ignore any eye-related changes, and that applies to all else.

At the end of the day, expect that there will be body horror present. Refer back to the Rules of the game, and know that the most important thing is to communicate boundaries, feelings, or ideas with each other. And know this: if you aren't satisfied with your choice in soul type, there are ways to change your choice. Have fun!